Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Milton A. Tingling has submitted an application to the Appellate Division in Manhattan to succeed Norman A. Goodman as New York County Clerk, according to three independent sources. The Appellate Division, First Department could take a vote on Goodman’s replacement as early as its next regularly scheduled conference this coming Monday, Nov. 24.

Questions about Goodman’s successor arose in the summer of 2013 when his heir apparent, First Deputy James A. Rossetti, was forced to step aside after the Office of Court Administration Inspector General’s Office concluded that he had not acted vigorously enough to insure that a racist image was taken down from a public wall of the office.

Goodman has held the post for the past 46 years, and Rossetti was the second in command for 28 years before he was forced to retire.

As I reported in March, Tingling brought the issue of the racist post to the attention of Justice Sherry Klein Heitler, the administrative judge of the Supreme Court in Manhattan (WiseLawNY, March 6, 2014). That started a process which six months later ended in Rossetti’ forced removal in December, 2013.

The New York Post reported in October that New York County’s democratic leader, Keith Wright, was eying the post but two of the sources said he had not submitted an application. By statute, the Appellate Division appoints the County Clerk in New York City.